As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I am taking part in public
hearings February 22-March 8 on Gov. Tom Wolf’s proposed 2016-17 state budget.
Below is a recap of hearing testimony, my questions to department heads and
video of each hearing.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Governor’s Office/Governor’s Budget Office/Executive
Offices

Part I (2015-16 Appropriations)

Senator Mensch
admonishes the Budget Secretary for the Administration’s misleading comments
regarding education funding, and notes the history of structural deficits and
increased government spending.

The Senate Appropriations Committee questioned Budget
Secretary Randy Albright about Governor Wolf’s threatened huge cuts in education
despite the General Assembly’s appropriation increasing funding for every school
line item in 2015-16 budget. Other topics included:

The
dangerous precedent of vetoing Legislature-approved appropriations and then
seeking funds from state Treasury.

Concerns
over transparency in spending of state funds when the Administration spends
money not appropriated by Legislature.

Senator Mensch
notes the fiscal pressures created by Pennsylvania’s aging demographic, growing
pressure on the middle class and the need to reduce spending.

Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee discussed
the need to address spending and cost-drivers in the budget during a hearing
with Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) Executive Director Matt Knittel.

Other topics discussed during the hearing included:

The economic impact of
Governor’s Wolf’s proposed tax increases and how they will affect seniors and
middle-class working families.

Pension costs and
long-term budget impacts of pension debt.

The effect of
Pennsylvania’s demographics on long-term budget projections.

Projected economic
activity and job growth over the next several years.

The reasons behind
increased costs in the Department of Corrections in spite of the reduction in
the inmate population.

The possibility of the
IFO taking on some of the responsibilities of the Public Employee Retirement
Commission.

Potential reductions
in revenues from the Marcellus Shale Impact Fee.

The impact of a
minimum wage increase on employment.

Current taxation of
casinos in relation to other states.

Projected growth in
lottery revenue compared to the services funded by lottery proceeds.

Senator Mensch
expresses concerns over the precedent set by Governor Wolf in spending funds not
allocated by the Legislature by declaring it “emergency spending.”

The Wolf Administration’s questionable spending during the
budget impasse was the main topic of discussion during the Senate Appropriations
Committee’s hearing with Pennsylvania Treasurer Timothy Reese.

Other topics discussed during the hearing included:

The
potential consequences of unauthorized spending on future budget debates.

Senator Mensch
asks about the possibility of establishing an Amber Alert system for special
needs citizens and cadet recruitment and retention.

Acting State Police
Commissioner Colonel Tyree Blocker provided an update on the cadet class
cheating investigation at the State Police Academy during the Appropriations
Committee budget hearing on the Pennsylvania State Police and the Office of
Homeland Security.

Other issues discussed during the hearing included

Funding for
future cadet classes.

Current and
projected complement of troopers and the impact of impending retirements.

Senator Mensch
tells the DEP Secretary the department has not been responsive to concerns about
groundwater quality in one 24th Senatorial District community.

Senate Appropriations Committee members questioned DEP
Secretary John Quigley about his department planning to implement new federal
coal regulations despite being stayed by a court ruling. Other topics included:

The
possibility of a “Growing Greener III” initiative to pay for Chesapeake Bay’s
multibillion-dollar cleanup.

Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee questioned
Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin
regarding the impact of funding delays created by the governor’s budget vetoes.

Other topics included:

Opportunities to create and retain manufacturing jobs.

Ways to
make Pennsylvania more business-friendly to attract employers.

The
economic benefits of the Film Tax Credit program.

Ways to
leverage public-private partnerships to increase tourism and attract new
businesses to the state.

The
possibility of further military base closures in Pennsylvania.

Proposed
increases in funding for Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance.

The impact
of the natural gas industry on economic development and job growth.

The Senate Appropriations
Committee closed out its first week of budget hearings by focusing on the Office
of the Attorney General (OAG) with Attorney General Kathleen Kane. Topics
discussed during the hearing included:

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